69岁的墨尔本祖母黛布拉·布坎南在圣奥尔班斯琼·基纳妇女儿童医院接受手术时，因与同名患者混淆而被实施了未经同意的错误手术[1]。医院本应在1月为她切除骨盆癌性病变，却错误地进行了外阴广泛局部切除手术，切除了她的小阴唇、处女膜和阴道内皮肤[1]。布坎南已委托律师起诉由西部卫生局运营的该医院，并要求进行独立调查[1]。
布坎南对这一医疗事故表示愤怒，称"你不能在一个人身上犯错。这不像打破一个杯子——这是某个人的生活"[1]。六个月后，她仍然遭受后遗症困扰，生活质量严重受影响[1]。代理律师埃琳·蒙索尔韦·费尔指出，患者在手术前从未被咨询或适当知情同意是此案最关键的问题所在[1]。
西部卫生局首席运营官约翰·费拉罗表示，"当患者不良事件发生时，我们会道歉、与患者见面、对事件进行审查，并分享调查结果和已采取的措施以帮助防止再次发生"[1]。
A 69-year-old Melbourne grandmother is pursuing legal action against Western Health following a severe surgical error at Joan Kirner Women's and Children's Hospital in St Albans in January [1]. Debra Buchanan was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous pelvic lesion, but due to confusion with another patient of the same name, she underwent a different procedure entirely without her consent [1]. Instead of the intended operation, Buchanan received a vulvar vestibulectomy—an extensive surgical removal of her labia minora, hymen, and vaginal epithelium [1].
Buchanan has retained legal representation and called for an independent investigation into the incident [1]. Her lawyer, Erin Monsour Fail, emphasized the gravity of the unauthorized procedure, stating that "the fact that she was never consulted nor consented appropriately for the surgery prior to it taking place, that's one of the biggest things this boils down to" [1]. Six months after the operation, Buchanan continues to experience complications that have significantly impacted her quality of life [1]. She reflected on the severity of the error, saying "You can't make a mistake on a person. It's not like breaking a cup – it's someone's life" [1].
Western Health's Chief Operating Officer, John Ferrero, responded with a statement acknowledging the adverse event: "Where a patient adverse event has occurred, we provide an apology, meet with the patient, undertake a review of the incident, and share the findings and actions taken to help prevent a recurrence" [1].